ECDC Annual Work Programme 2011

As in the previous years, ECDC work for 2011 is planned on a yearly basis in an Annual Work Programme with a medium term “rolling time horizon”, which is based on the Strategic Multi-annual Programme (2007-2013). In this way ECDC‟s day-to-day work is linked to its longer-term goals and official mandate. This document is based on the priority list for scientific advice prepared by ECDC in January/February with input from Competent Bodies for scientific advice, the Advisory Forum (AF) and ECDC Units and Disease Specific Programmes, and scored by the Member States. A list of “ECDC 2010 Work Programme priorities” was also discussed by the Management Board in June 2010 and a written consultation of the Management Board took place during summer. Comments received from the Management Board, the European Commission and the Advisory Forum (meeting on 29-30th September) have fully been taken in consideration.

Main priorities of the 2011 Work Programme:

According to the Strategic Multi-annual Programme 2007-2013 (SMP), from 2010 onwards, ECDC should further consolidate its Public Health Functions now fully in operation (surveillance, scientific advice, preparedness and response, health communication) and give a higher priority to diseases specific work. This process is supported by the long term strategies for the Disease Specific Programmes adopted in November 2009 by the Management Board, as a complement to the SMP.

Building Partnerships will remain a high priority in order to further improve ECDC‟s overall cooperation with the EU institutions, Member States, other public health partners and external partners. The clarification of the role of the Competent Bodies and contact points, as well as a the development of service contracting with coordinating Competent Bodies in targeted countries will aim to ensure full synergy in the work.

For the first time, the Centre’s budget will reach a plateau in 2011, with a slight decrease (-2% overall, and -8% for operational expenses) to reach 56.7 M€ (of which 21.8 M for operational expenses), while the total number of 350 staff should remain unchanged.

During the written consultation, the Management Board highlighted the need for ECDC to focus on several issues, in particular: link its activities with the resources, address unforeseen events, address inequalities and social determinants of communicable diseases as well as geographic diversity, put more emphasis on microbiology, further develop training activities, strengthen the collaboration with the EU and Global partners such as WHO, and improve links with the Member States.

Comments from the Management Board have been largely taken into account in the Work Programme 2011. For the first time, costs are attached to all activities. In addition to the traditional approach by Unit and Disease specific programmes, the present Work Programme also emphasises cross-cutting issues, with a focus on the following areas:

• health and social determinants
• lessons learnt from the H1N1 influenza
• climate change
• strengthening the microbiology laboratory capacity in Europe
• improvement of the organisational internal management
• clarification and strengthening of the partnerships with Member States and external partners - training activities